The freedom of information act (FOIA) became
law in the UK in November 2000, and it was fully implemented from the beginning
of 2005.

FOIA makes “provision for the disclosure
of information held by public authorities or by persons providing services
for them.” Anyone making a request for information from any public
body in the UK is entitled to be told whether it exists and, if it does, to
be sent that information within 20 working days.

That is the basic principle behind “freedom
of information”. It is a powerful one, of great potential use to companies,
newspapers or other media, campaigners, academics or anyone wanting to find
out information. This is your “right to know”, but FOIA is subject
to several exemptions, including:

In addition, Scotland has its own freedom
of information act, FOISA. Besides FOIA and FOISA, environmental information
can be obtained in the UK under the environmental information regulations
(EIR), which are generally less restrictive than the “freedom of information”
acts.

Individuals can obtain information about themselves,
including health records, under the data protection act. Personal data, as
defined in the data protection act, can be obtained from public bodies as
well as many companies and other organisations.

In some circumstances, health records of late
relatives/friends can be obtained from health professionals and institutions
under the access to health records act. You would probably have such rights
if you were the immediate next of kin or had power of attorney. People can
also obtain medical reports written on them by a clinician, such as a GP,
for insurance or employment purposes, under the access to medical reports
act.

Anyone can lodge “freedom of information”
or other “open-access” requests. However, “freedom of information”
and open-access laws, their interpretation and the procedures are complex,
and exercising your “right to know” often entails protracted correspondence.
The FOIA Centre helps you navigate the complexities –
and takes on the bureaucracy for you. It is akin to the searches undertaken
by conveyance solicitors for house buyers. Anyone can do the searches, but
it is best left to a specialist to ensure they are carried out effectively
and, as is often necessary for FOIA and other open-access requests, monitored
and pursued. The FOIA Centre brings together a wealth of knowledge and breadth
of experience of “freedom of information” and open-access provisions.

FOIA is a powerful piece of legislation that
gives everyone a statutory, albeit limited, “right to know”. Our
advice is: if you are seeking information, try “freedom of information”.
And make use of the knowledge and experience of the FOIA Centreto
make the most of “freedom of information” and other open-access
provisions.